Category Archives: Theologians

REFORMATION & MODERN POSTMILLS

History, Theologians July 25, 2025 Leave a comment

.PMW 2025-061 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In a previous posting I listed a few ancient postmillennial writers, noting that this would have been a budding postmillennialism, not a full-blown postmillennial scheme. In this article I will present the names of some Reformation postmillennialists, as well as some contemporary ones

Reformation Postmillennialism

As Donald Bloesch notes, “postmillennialism experienced an upsurge in the middle ages,” as illustrated in the writings of Joachim of Fiore (A.D. 1145-1202) and others. But a more fully developed postmillennialism enjoys its greatest growth and influence in the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, especially under Puritan and reformed influence in England and America. Continue reading →

DABNEY ON THE RESURRECTION BODY (2)

Resurrection, Theologians March 14, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-021 by Robert L. DabneyGeneral resurrection

Note: This concludes our previous posting presenting Robert L. Dabney’s argument for the physical resurrection of the dead.

Objection From Wonderfulness, Answered
The general objection is from the incredible greatness of the work. That is, since the particles that composed human bodies are scattered asunder by almost every conceivable agency, fire, winds, waters, birds and beasts of prey, mingled with the soil of the fields, and dissolved in the waters of the ocean, it is unreasonable to expect they will be assembled again.

We reply (reserving the question whether a proper corporeal identity implies the presence of all the constituent particles; of which more shortly), that this objection is founded only on a denial of God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and almighty power. The work of the resurrection does indeed present a most wondrous and glorious display of divine power. But to God all things are easy. Continue reading →

DABNEY ON THE RESURRECTION BODY (1)

Resurrection, Theologians March 11, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-020 by Robert L. Dabneyflower in concrete

Gentry note:

R. L. Dabney (1820–98) was a Reformed Presbyterian theologian who served as professor of systematic theology ot Union Theological Seminary (back when it believed something in particular), then he served as Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy at the University of Texas. This excerpt below is from pp. 832–34 of his Lectures in Systematic Theology. Please note: I have slightly tweaked some of his punctuation, Roman numerals, and nineteenth century style without changing his meaning.

True Meaning of Resurrection
In Scripture the image of a resurrection, anastasis, is a undoubtedly used sometimes in a figurative sense, to describe regeneration (John 5:25; Eph. 5:14). And sometimes to speak of restoration from calamity and captivity to prosperity and joy (Ezek. 37:12: Isa. 26:19). But it is equally certain that the words are intended to be used in a literal sense, of the restoration of the same body that dies to life, by its reunion to the soul. This then is the doctrine. For when the resurrection of the dead (nekron), of those that are in their graves, of those that sleep in the dust of the earth, is declared, the sense is unequivocal. Without at this time particularizing Scripture proofs, we assert that they mean to describe a bodily existence as literally as when they speak of man’s soul in in this life, as residing in a body. And this, though wonderfully changed in qualities, is the same body in the proper, honest sense of the word “same,” which the soul laid down at death. This resurrection will embrace all the individuals of the human race, good and bad, except those whose bodies have already passed into heaven, and those of the last generation, who will be alive on the earth at the last trump. But on the bodies of these the resurrection change will pass, though they do not die. The signal of this resurrection is to be the “last trump,” an expression probably taken from the transactions at Sinai (Exo. 19:16, 19; cf. Heb. 12:26), which may, very possibly, be some literal, audible summons, sounded through the whole atmosphere of the world. But the agent will be Christ, by His direct and almighty power, with the Holy Ghost. Continue reading →

CHRISTIANITY AND FUTURE REVIVAL

Optimism, Theologians March 7, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-019 by O. T. AllisAllis

Gentry note:
O. T. Allis (1880-1973) was an internationally recognized philologist and Reformed theologian who helped found Westminster Theological Seminary, along with J. Gresham Machen, Robert Dick Wilson, and others. He is noted especially for his work in the Old Testament. Allis was a postmillennialist, as we can see from his Foreword in Roderick Campbell’s Israel and the New Covenant, a powerful postmillennial book. The following is his Foreword in full.

The author of this valuable contribution to Biblical Interpretation belongs to a class of writers which is not as numerous today as has sometimes been the case, the lay theologian. Being both an earnest and active Christian and a successful man of business, Mr. Campbell very naturally became, as he tells us in his Preface, deeply concerned over the economic depression and the moral degeneracy which followed in the wake of the first World War. Being a Christian he turned to the Bible for the answer; and he also consulted many of the ablest interpreters of the Bible, in the hope of solving this pressing problem. The answer which he found is the thesis of the present volume. It can be stated briefly and in a single sentence: The Christian church has for centuries failed to take seriously and carry out fully the Great Commission. Continue reading →

NEW BOOK ON GEERHARDUS VOS’ ESCHATOLOGY

Age(s) (Two Ages), Theologians June 21, 2024 Leave a comment

PMW 2024-049 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.Vos Geerhardus

Bill Boney, a good friend of mine, and I have co-edited a book that should be released later this Summer. I hope this work will be well received not only in the Reformed world, but also more widely in the evangelical realm. We are thankful for the skillful competence of our publisher Kyle Shepherd who has pressed us to complete and release this work

What is this book? And what is it all about? It’s working title (which could change) is The Reformed Eschatology of Geerhardus Vos. Continue reading →

CALVIN AND POSTMILLENNIALISM

Theologians October 24, 2023 Comments: 2

PMW 2023-083 by Greg L. BahnsenDoubting prayer

INTRODUCTION

When we understand the distinctive character of postmillennialism (i.e., historical optimism”), it is important to go on and see that this position is not eccentric in terms of the outlook of orthodox theology, nor is it a recent innovation (associated, as some erroneously say, with the rise of nineteenth-century humanistic optimism). Rather, the postmillennial hope has been the persistent viewpoint of most Reformed scholars from the sixteenth century into the early twentieth century. In light of that fact, the position deserves to be examined again today for its biblical support and not lightly dismissed as somehow an obvious theological mistake. That is, there is no prima facie reason to reject postmillennialism as foreign to the thinking of the most respectable theological teachers or the unwitting parallel to specific secular movements. The position has been endorsed by the most dependable and outstanding theologians and commentators from the Reformation to the present.
Continue reading →

THE GOSPEL, SECOND COMING & ‘THIS AGE’ (2)

Great Commission, Theologians, Two Ages January 3, 2023 Comments: 8

PMW 2022-100 by B. B. Warfield

Gentry note:
This is the second part of Warfield’s helpful article on postmillennialism.

Warfield continues:

The Great Commission
Let us turn, however, to the Great Commission itself (Matt. 28:19, 20). From it surely we may learn the precise nature of the mission that has been committed to the Church of our age. The task laid upon it, we note, is that of “discipling all the nations,” and the means by which this discipling is to be accomplished is described as baptism and instruction — obviously just the ordinary means by which the Church is extended through the ministry of the gospel. The full point of the matter comes out, however, only in the accompanying promise: “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

The promise, of course, must correspond with the command. The Lord would not encourage his followers to fulfill his command to disciple all nations, by promising to be continuously with them (“all the days”) while time lasts (“even unto the end of the world”), unless the process of discipling the nations here commanded was itself to continue unbrokenly to this end. Of course, everything depends on the meaning of the phrase, “unto the end of the world.” But that is not doubtful.

The Truth about Postmillennialism

By Ken Gentry

A group Bible study guide for explaining the optimistic prophetic hope for this world to be accomplished before Christ’s Second Coming. Establishes the postmillennial system in both the Old and New Testaments. Touches on key eschatological issues, such as creation, covenant, interpretive methodolgy, the great tribulation, the Book of Revelation, the Jewish Temple, and more. It presents and answers the leading objections to postmillennialism.Twelve chapters are ideal for one quarter of Sunday School.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

Our Lord employs it twice elsewhere in his explanations of the parables of the tares and the drawn net (Matt. 13:39, 40, 49). In the former he declares that “the harvest is the end of the world,” and explains that to mean that, as, “the tares are gathered up and burned with the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world; the Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” In the latter he explains that in the end of the world” the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” “The end of the world” here is clearly the last judgment and the consummation of the kingdom.

Continue reading →